Another Etsy find!

I always have a soft spot for adorable creatures. I know this isn’t really wedding related but hey, I can’t help but share. Hope it brightens your rainy day. 

Made by Katie from Skunkboy Creatures!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Wishing everyone a VERY Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Can you believe it’s almost 2009?!

Here’s some pictures from my recent trip to Atlanta to visit my best friend from high school!

At the World of Coco-Cola

Stone Mountain Park

Shopping area in Downtown Atlanta

This picture was from a few years ago when she was a bridesmaid at my wedding! None of my DIY projects would have come to fruition without her help!

Have a GREAT HOLIDAY and see you next year!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I can’t believe it’s already that time of the year ~ HOLIDAY SEASON!!! Wishing everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Election 2008

Did you? 

Finally…a post!

I do have to apologize for being missing in action for so long. January was kind of my month off. I took the time to finish up a few personal items (that if left unattended, would have dragged ANOTHER year). And next thing I know, a few meetings here…a wedding there…it’s already the end of February! I missed posting about Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day. So I guess this will be the beginning of a few ‘catch up’ posts. =) And I promise I will do my China Trip review (geesh..if I wait any longer, I might as well post about my next big trip!).

Great news is this year is looking VERY exciting. I have a couple of out-of-town brides, brides planning their wedding at private residences (always my fav), couple of good friends getting married, an impending proposal, and finally, I’m going to be a bridesmaid! OH THE FUN we’re going to have!

I’ll keep this post short ~flexing my posting muscles~I promise to keep up! And keeping with the theory (post without picture is no post at all). Here’s a picture of me, my BIL, and my in laws on the steps of Yunnan University, China.

Happy 2008!

Okay…REALLY…I’m BACK! I know it’s unforgivable that I haven’t posted since leaving for my vacation back in Nov (and just so you know, this is a no picture post ~ oh the shame!). But seriously, I’ve been swamped. Never again will I take vacation during Thanksgiving. Hubs and I came back and all the Christmas decorations were already up! It felt like we ‘almost’ missed Christmas. I’m ashamed to say we didn’t decorate at all (I barely had time to get the Christmas cards out). It took weeks just to sort through emails, request for meetings, buy Christmas gifts (I almost forgo gifts until Mom gave me her sad ‘puppy dog eyes’), and coordinated my last wedding of the year! 

So now that’s all done…I’m looking forward to the new year! I have quiet a few weddings I’m looking forward to; not to mention my very good friend WENDY who’s getting married in Sept (she finally decided on a date & venue..hahaha). I will also be her ‘MOH’ ~ only second time in my life I assume that post. I am sad to say I’ll be missing two very good friend’s wedding (what’s up with May 2?) since I’m already booked for the day. But I am excited ~ new year, new beginnings ~ good luck to all 2008 brides and let the FUN begin!

China…here we come!

I am so excited ~ a real vacation! It’s for sure because we BOUGHT the tickets! I know, I know…not like I haven’t taken one recently. WELL, it has been a while. I went to visit my sister and her twins Jan 2007. So it’s been almost ONE year. And visiting to me isn’t really vacation. Last real vacation was to Europe (Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Munich) June 2006. I was hoping for Spain this year but it’ll have to wait…we’ll probably go next Sept for MIL’s 60th birthday.

Anyways, on to gush about my vacation. We are heading to southern China, Yunnan province. Hubs family are from there and to hear him talk, that is his ‘motherland’ and proud of it. I mean seriously, every person we meet from China, he will ask: ‘What province are you from. I’m from Yunnan.’ AS IF…the dude’s never even been there! I’m glad he’s proud and I’m happy we’re finally visiting. It’s been a long time coming.

We will be flying in through Hong Kong and landing in Kunming. Kunming is the capital city of Yunnan province. It has a long history and was the ancient gateway of the famed silk rode. Today Kunming is the heartbeat of Yunnan province, enjoying a reputation as one of Chinas’ most picturesque cites as well as being the most popular tourist destination in southwestern China. Like other major cities in China, Kunming combines an ancient and proud tradition with the dynamism of being a modern metropolis. ~tripadvisor

The weather I heard is much like here. I guess the exact location across the globe will be about northern Mexico. There are about 25 ethnic minorities in Kunming, and the city is celebrated as ‘City of Eternal Spring.’ It’s well known for it’s diverse cultures and breath-taking natural scenery (hubs’ afraid it’s going to be like Yosemite). I’m hoping we get to see the major attractions like the Shilin (Stone Forest), Xishan (West Hill), Grand Park, Black Dragon Pool and much more! Kunming is also famous for it’s bit part in history. China’s lifeline to the outside world ~ Burma Road ~ had one of its terminals at Kunming.

Lugu Lake

Shilin (Stone Forest) is a maze of grey limestone towers. A walkway let you wander around the rock formations. Nearby villages are inhabited by the Sani tribes people who sell handcraft and act as tour guides. The location of Shilin has once been covered by the ocean. When the ocean pulled back erosion has been shaping the stones to the impressive “forest” it is now.

Tour guides dress in traditional Sani outfits at Shilin

I’m expecting to see lots of different ethnicity, clothing, traditions…

This is the canal that runs through the city

Huating Temple in the West Hills area

We’ll be in China for about 10 days and before heading back to US, we will stop in Taiwan for 5 days. Depending on if I’m still angry at my sister, I’ll go visit her. Arghhh…I can sure hold a grudge. BUT…I won’t let that damper my spirits. I’m going on VACATION!

HAPPY HOLLOWEEN!

I wish I was a kid again. I remember first time going trick-o-treating….I was like ‘WOW, free candy!’ My parents dressed my sister and I up as clowns; identical even though she was 3 feet taller than me. And of course, when we were going house to house, people thought she was too old to be trick-o-treating. They thought sis was in college when in fact she was only 9!! We didn’t do many years of trick-o-treating before we moved on to giving out the ‘treats.’ We have a weird household, instead of candy, my dad is always giving out tee-shirts, posters, star war collectable coins, and oh yeah…that one year he was giving out small earphone radio thing-a-majig. We had kids coming back THREE times!

And now, I just want to borrow someone’s kid to take my dogs out in costume. Oh how we evolve. =)

Sweetie Pie Honey Bear

I had a hard week and look what I got when I came home Thursday night! =) My cutie pie hubby got me this GORGEOUS ring! He’s always so good at getting me gifts for no apparent reason except to cheer me up. The ring was beautifully wrapped in a wooden box. I feel so lucky and so loved. =)

It’s Hubster’s BIRTHDAY today!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY!

We been celebrating birthdays together since 1994 (geesh that made me sound old). Here’s to another hundred birthdays I get to celebrate with you! May all your wishes come true (well of course, you have me don’t ya)! Love you hon!

So today, since neither of us are working, we’re taking it slow and heading out to Santa Monica. There’s a burger joint hubs been wanting to try out since reading about it in a magazine. It’s call Father’s Office. It’s a tisey tiny place located on Montana Ave. But most importantly, it has the best burger in the region, if not US! The restaurant has no wait staff and you order directly from the bartender. The owner Sang Yoon is very strict about serving a no nonesense burger; there are so substitutes and your fries don’t come with ketchup. Be careful ordering beer though, I believe there are bottles costing hundred of dollars.

Will report back with details and of course pictures!